Improvement in electric lights



2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

' M. DAY, 1r.

Electric-Lights. v

Pateli ted Feb. 24. 1874'. 1 M. I 4 1 2 Sheets--Sheet 2'.

M. DAY, 1r. Electric-Lights. No.147,827. Patented Feb. 24. 1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATTHIAS DAY, JR, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRIC LIGHTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,827, dated February 24, 1874; application filed March 27, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHIAS DAY, Jr., of Mansfield, county of Riehland and State of Ohio, haveinventedcertain Improvements in Electric Li hts, of which the tbllowingis aspecification:

n the use of electric burners, the following ditficulties are found: First, causing the carbons' or points to approach automaticallywith a speed commensurate to waste by the current. A greateror less speed breaks the current and extinguishes the light; Second, the waste of the point connected with the carbon pole of the battery is greater than that of the other, and, from various causes, is irregularly so. Hence the carbons must approach at unequal, and at consequently varying, speed in order that the pointof light may. always. be stationary in the focus of the lens or mirror. Third, owing to the rapidity of the .waste,

electric lights have been of short duration, re-- quirmg a constant attendant to replace. the.

carbons, during which time the light is of course extinguished.

The object of my invention) is to overcome these ditliculties.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures I and II, the standard, which maybe either vertical or horizontal, is in two parts-the one, A, of wood, and the other, B, of metal. For many purposes it is just as well to make it all of wood. 0 C G G are metallic arms for supporting-the guides L and D-L being made of soft iron, and D, preferably, of brass. Between the lower arms 0 0 is an elcctro-magnet, B, so adjusted that the soft-iron guide L becomes its armature. Belowthe magnet is a coiled spring, K, to the drum of which I attach one end of a cord or'ribbon, J, preferablyof steel, its other end being fastened to the lower end of the guide L. The spring'K, as will appear, gives motion to all parts of the burner. The same results may be accomplished by a weight. Upon the shaft of the spring is the insulated pinion and jam-nut 13. Between the upper arms 0 O is the wheel E, gearing into the rack upon the inn'er edge of the guide D, and upon the shaft of the wheel E is the insulated pinion and jam-nut F. His :1 connecting-rod with slots at each end, geared, respectively, to opposite sides of the pinions F and F. the upper end of the guide L is a helix-magnet, M, with its core N, spring 0, and carbonsocket P, in which-is a slide-plate, to be held firmly against the carbons or points by the set-screwp. A similar socket is attached to the opposite guide 'D. The set-screw 0 holds the guides in any position when the burner is not in .use. The carbons are respectively connected with-the battery by the wires S and 'l; The sockets I? P are made to hold two or more points, preferably arranged in parallel, not touching each other, and those ill the upper socket opposite those in the lower. The connecting-rod H has a screw-joint at I, to admit of changing the upper end. By having slots of differentsizes, with piuionsF'v to correspond, therelative speed of the carbons may be materially changed.

The operation of -the burner is as follows: The carbon point-s being placed in the sockets, the set-screw c is loosened, and the spring K -lifts the guide L, and by means of the cont-he pinions F and F, depresses the guide D. By this simultaneous motion of the guides the carbon. points meet in the focus of the lens or mirror. It, now, the connections are made with the battery, the battery R will gripe the soft-iron guide L, and, by the connections, also tl.e'guide D, and hold them firmly in position. The helix-magnet M, acting at the same instant, draws down the lower'carbons, and'the light is shown. The current selects thero'ute offering the least resistance, and therefore follows that pair of carbons in closest impact. When the points are separated it distance between them, resulting from waste, is too great, when the. current weakens or breaks. The magnets R and M let go the springs K and O, promptly bring the points together again, and the circuit is again complete. The current chooses another pair of carbons, the magnets come into play, and the light is reestablished. The same operation is constantly" repeated, and thus the current passing through the carbons alternately wears them away equally, and the duration of the light is only limited .by the capacity of the sockets for hold ing carbons. The changes from carbon to carbon are made so quickly that the light is reliably continuous.

necting-rod H and its reverse gearing, with continues to .followthesame pair until the To correct the excess of waste in the points connected with the positive pole of the bat tcry, I either change the size of the pinion F, or use an automatic rheotrope between the battery and burner, by which the current may be rerersed at brief intervals, and thus -the point of light remains in the focus.

Instead of by the rod H, the upper guide E may be connected with the spring K by a metallic cord, the upper end being attached to avariable drum or pulley facing the whee'lE.

In Figs. III and IV, I show another form of the burner. The ofiice of the electro-maguet It is to restrain the spring K. The spring may be retarded or restrained by a clockinoveinent. An ordinarymarine-clock movement is attached to A, and has upon its face a wheel gearing with the cog-wheel Z, upon the back of which is a plate of rubber, or its equivalent. To it is attached the lever W, one end of which is pivoted to the arm C, and

' the other fastened to the core of the helix-ma gnet Y. When the current is passing through the burner, the magnet Y, acting upon the lever "W, presses the wheel Z firmly/against the drum of the spring K, and, by its frictional or rubber gearing, prevents the revolution of the drum, exceptas released by the movement of the clock.

I am aware that clock-work has been used in connection with electric burners heretofore butI believe it has always been as a motive instead of restraining power. They have moved intermittently when released from the control ofthe magnets, and the light in consequence was fitful and of varying power. By the plan I describe there is a constant motion of the carbons and a light of uniform brilliancy.

Should the movement of the clock be too slow, and the distance between the carbons become too great, the magnet Y lets go, and the spring K, released from the control of the clock, brings the points promptly together, and the light is reestablished. For the carbon points may be substituted carbon disks, to be revolved byconnection with the spring K, or with the clock, the disks and the pomts being controlled equally well by the burner.

Having thus described the nature of my 111- vention, I claim- I 1. In an electric light, the combinatiomwrth each electrode-holder and one electrical circuit, of two or more electrodes, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the magnet R, ot the carbon-supportin g rod L, arranged to act as the armature of the magnet, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with the armature or guide-rod, of the electro-magnet M, arranged upon the top thereof, in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with the motive power of an electric light and the carbon electrodes thereof, of a connecting-rod and gearings, nupart-ingsimultaneous motion to both electrodes, substantially as herein set forth.

5. The combination, with the motive power of an electric light, of a constant and regularly acting clock-movement, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

MATTHIAS DAY. JR.

Witnesses:

JAMES S. GRINNELL, W. E. CnArrnn. 

